AMERICAN GEOLOGISTS AND NATURALISTS. 69 



Prof. W. B. Rogers communicated a paper " on the Connec- 

 tion of Thermal Springs in Virginia with AnticHnal Axes and 

 Fauhs." In this paper he gives a list of more than thirty ther- 

 mal springs, having an excess of temperature over the ordinary- 

 constant springs of the neighborhood of from two to nearly sixty 

 degrees, comprising all the distinctly thermal waters which he 

 has thus far met with in Virginia. These are all situated in the 

 Appalachian belt, and, ivilhout an exception^ issue on or near the 

 line of an anticlinal axis or a fault — or near the contact of the 

 Appalachian ivith the Hijpo^ene rocks. Prof. R. laid much stress 

 on the fact that the warmest of these springs were generally those 

 which issued from the lowest formations. Accompanying the 

 paper were a series of short sections, illustrating the geological 

 position of a number of the most interesting of these springs. 



Prof. W. B, Rogers communicated a paper entitled " Obser- 

 vations on Subterranean Temperature made in the mines of east- 

 ern Virginia." In this paper Prof. R. gives the results of obser- 

 vations with the thermometer at depths varying from one hun- 

 dred to nearly eight hundred feet, all indicating an increase of 

 temperature downwards. Some of these results, procured under 

 favorable circumstances, he considers sufficiently accurate to 

 warrant an inference as to the rate of increase of the temperature 

 with the depth in this region. These, it is believed, are the first 

 observations of the kind made in the United States, and, if we 

 except those of Humboldt in Mexico, the first in North America. 



Prof H. D. Rogers offered some remarks on the influence of 

 pyi'ites on the heat of the strata. 



Prof. Hitchcock read a paper entitled " Notes on the Geology 

 of some parts of Western Asia, derived principally from the 

 American IVIissionaries," and exhibited numerous specimens in 

 illustration of his remarks. 



Dr. Dana exhibited a copy of what was probably the earliest 

 work on the geology of America, entitled " Beytrage zur mineral- 

 ogischen Kenntniss des CEslichen theils von Nord America und 

 seiner Gebiirge von D. Johann David Schopf," 8vo. 1787, pre- 

 sented to the library of the Boston Society of Natural History. 

 IMr. Teschemacher was requested to report on it. 



Mr. CouTHOUY read a paper " on various Icebergs as observed 

 by him." ^ 



IVIr. James Hall read a paper " on Wave Lines and other 



* Mr. Couthouy's remarks have been already given, pp. 49-59. 



